LONDON: EVR Holdings plc, the leading creator of virtual reality entertainment content and operator of the MelodyVR platform, announced the launch of Live from LA, a new live music series delivered directly into fans’ homes around the world, broadcast from MelodyVR’s brand-new studio location in Los Angeles.

Starting Saturday with an exclusive show from global superstar John Legend at 6pm PST. The series will also include performances from Machine Gun Kelly, Katelyn Tarver and The Score during the first week, with many more artists yet to be announced. Live from LA has been developed to provide fans with incredible immersive performances from their favourite artists and overcomes many of the COVID-19 related challenges currently facing the music industry, whilst maintaining the highest levels of safety for both performers and crew.

The staging of this new immersive content series ensures artists can continue to connect with their fans during a period absent of traditional concerts, tours or festivals. Using cutting edge technology in combination with our own in-house technical experience, our high quality immersive state of the art studio facility in Los Angeles will accommodate unique high-throughput production requirements whilst preserving the safety of artists, public and the on-site team, enabling artists to create broadcast quality content that can be distributed to their fans either in real-time as live events, or pre-recorded to be consumed at a later date.

Whilst the initial series of performances is to be made available for fans for free during these difficult times, this initiative is expected to deliver new opportunities for revenue generation for the company throughout the course of this year and beyond, via the potential monetisation of events and performances as the series continues.

Given the current restrictions surrounding traditional audience-focused shows and concerts, MelodyVR intends to broadcast virtual events for the foreseeable future. The goal is to demonstrate both the importance and engagement that digital content and the MelodyVR platform can provide as fans remain in isolation.

Anthony Matchett, CEO of MelodyVR said: “During these unprecedented times, it is difficult to foresee the upcoming changes and challenges that we may face personally as individuals, and the changes and challenges that many businesses and industries will experience moving forwards. MelodyVR was founded with the vision of providing fans with a new and exciting way of experiencing the live music they love, regardless of their location, age or financial means, and with a view that our company or content would never seek to replace the thrill of attending concerts, festivals or tours in person.

Unfortunately, due to the recent events, we are now presented with a landscape where any mass-gatherings or public events are prohibited, which is extremely damaging to both artists and to the music industry as a whole. As a company that has deep-rooted experience with virtual events and immersive content, we are well positioned to benefit the music industry, including our partners such as promoters, artists, managers and record labels; many of whom are unable to conduct their business operations as usual. Our new studio facility in LA, which has been custom designed to maintain stringent safety standards whilst creating the highest possible quality content, leverages our unique skillset of broadcasting immersive performances digitally via the MelodyVR platform. It provides a viable, creative alternative for artists wishing to reach their fans whilst they are unable to perform publicly.

During the pandemic, fans have continued to access MelodyVR at an accelerated rate, with smartphone installs of our app increasing by 1100% over the last 7 weeks, demonstrating both the demand and appetite for our content. Throughout the course of the year ahead, we will continue to serve our consumers and the music industry by creating and broadcasting performances to fans from our unique studio location in Los Angeles, as well as from other locations in different territories.

John Legend said: “Come and join me for a very special performance live from MelodyVR’s studio on Saturday May 16. While we can’t be together in person right now, I’m excited to share this moment with my fans.”

“I’ve really missed getting to play shows and perform my songs live for an audience” explains Multi-talented pop singer, actress and songwriter Katelyn Tarver, “MelodyVR is a great way for me to get to do that in a way that feels really interactive and as close to the real thing as we can get right now! Music always makes me feel connected to myself and other people. I hope my performance can provide a little bit of that feeling for you, too.”